The present invention relates to improved downhole tools, and more specifically, to improved polymer compositions that are useful in the formation of downhole tools or components thereof.
A wide variety of downhole tools may be used within a wellbore in connection with recovering desirable fluid or reworking a well that extends into a subterranean formation.
Downhole tools or components thereof may be made of polymers or coated with polymers. The polymers may provide for corrosion resistant and lighter weight tools and may be less costly to manufacture relative to metallic downhole tools or components thereof. The manufacturing process for tools or components thereof that comprise polymers involve the polymer being in a molten state for processing, also known as a polymer melt. It is well-known that an increase in molecular weight generally results in an increase in the viscosity of a polymer melt. A polymer melt with a high viscosity can prevent melt-processing of the polymer melt due to physical and/or mechanical limitations of the melt-processing equipment. These limitations can be overcome with an increase in the melt-processing temperatures, which can require specialized equipment, increased safety procedures, and increased energy consumption leading to increased cost and time. Further, if the downhole tool also includes a metal assembly, the manufacturing process can be energy intensive in that the metal assembly is a heat sink so the energy required to keep the polymer melt in a molten form is quite high. Additionally, depending on the other components of the downhole tool, it may be undesirable to heat the tool extensively as it may degrade some components, for example, those made with elastomers.
However, downhole tool manufacturers must balance the cost and difficulty of manufacturing with the tolerable strength and toughness of the final product. A composition that allows improved processing characteristics during the blending and processing steps, e.g., depressed melt temperatures or glass transition temperatures (Tg), and provides the necessary strength in downhole environments would be valuable for producing downhole tools or components thereof. It should be noted that as used herein, melt temperature and glass transition temperature of a polymer are not used interchangeable and are not equated.